Overview:

D-Link®, an industry pioneer in wireless networking, introduces a solution for businesses seeking to deploy next generation 802.11n LANs. D-Link unveils its new AirPremier N Simultaneous Dual Band PoE Access Point (DAP-2690), designed for supporting small and medium-sized business and enterprise environments to provide secure and manageable dual band wireless LAN options for network administrators.

Versatile Access Point
The DAP-2690 allows network administrators to deploy a highly manageable and extremely robust simultaneous dual band wireless network. All four antennas are detachable and can provide optimal wireless coverage in both 2.4GHz (802.11g and 802.11n) and 5GHz (802.11a and 802.11n) bands. Enclosed in a plenum-rated metal chassis, the DAP-2690 adheres to strict fire codes for placement in air passageways. For advanced installations, this new high-speed access point has integrated 802.3af Power over Ethernet (PoE) support, allowing installation in areas where power outlets are not readily available.

Enhanced Performance
The DAP-2690 delivers reliable wireless performance with maximum wireless signal rates of up to 300Mbps in both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless band. This, coupled with support for Wi-Fi Multimedia™ (WMM) Quality of Service (QoS) features, makes it an ideal access point for audio, video, and voice applications.

When enabled, QoS allows the DAP-2690 to automatically prioritize traffic according to the level of interactive streaming, such as Voice over IP (VoIP). The QoS feature also provides a drop-down menu option to select customized priority rules. Additionally, the DAP-2690 supports load balancing features to ensure maximum performance by limiting the maximum number of users per access point.

The DAP-2690 includes support for up to 8 VLANs per band for implementing multiple SSIDs to further help segment users on the network. It also includes a wireless client isolation mechanism, which limits direct client-to-client communication.

Additionally, the DAP-2690 supports Network Access Protection (NAP), which is a feature of Windows Server® 2008. NAP allows network administrators to define multiple levels of network access based on individual client’s need. If a client is identified outside of their access area, the client will be automatically brought back to their permitted network access level.

Multiple Operation Modes
To maximize total return on investment, the DAP-2690 can be configured to optimize network performance based on any one of its multiple operation modes: Access Point,
Wireless Distribution System (WDS) with Access Point, WDS/Bridge (No AP Broadcasting) and Wireless Client. With WDS support, network administrators can set up multiple DAP-
2690s throughout a facility and configure them to bridge with one another while also providing network access to individual clients. Also included are advanced features such as Load Balancing, which optimizes high network traffic volume, and redundancy for fail-safe wireless connectivity. Additionally, the DAP-2690 offers Spanning Tree Protocol support for greater efficiency and to avoid broadcast storms when used in WDS mode.

Network Management
Network administrators have multiple options for managing the DAP-2690 including Web (HTTP), Secure Sockets Later (SSL), which provides for a secure connection to the
Internet, Secure Shell (SSH), which provides for a secure channel between local and remote computers, and Telnet (bi-directional, eight-bit byte oriented communications
facility). For advanced network management, administrators can use the D-Link AP Manager II or D-View SNMPv3 management module to configure and manage multiple access points from a single location. In addition to a streamlined management process, AP Manager II or D-View software provides network administrators with the means of verifying and conducting regular maintenance checks remotely, eliminating the need for sending out personnel to physically verify proper operation.